When you’re getting ready to buy your first fishing rod setup, the choices can seem overwhelming. By knowing your options and your needs, the process can become easier. In the fishing world, there are a lot of anglers that have a dedication to particular brands. That doesn’t mean they only use a specific brand of fishing rod, though many professionals do, but most frequent anglers will have a tendency to gravitate to a specific brand. AJ, for example, favors the Lews fishing rods and I have a tendency to pick 13 rods over any other brand. The reason: it’s what feels right to our individual hands and fishing styles. You will have to find what feels best to your hand and fishing style.
To make an informed choice, you need to know some basics.
Fishing Rod Components
When you’re choosing a rod, you need to know the parts of the rod that you’re evaluating. So, let’s start with the basic anatomy of your rod. You hold it at the grip. The blank extends out of the top of the grip. Within the grip or between the grip and the blank is the reel seat (this depends on the rod design). Attached to the blank, evenly dispersed up the rod, are the guides. The last guide, at the very end of the rod, is the tip. Occasionally, somewhere below the first guide, you will find a hook keeper.
Personally, AJ and I each prefer to have rods with a keeper. I have a few that didn’t d come with a keeper, but I have added keepers to these “naked” rods myself.
There are 8 types of fishing rods
Many of the types are specialty rods that we are not going to cover in much detail in this article, but they are important to mention for you to understand what you are going to come across while shopping for your rod.
| Common, Freshwater, Rods | Specialty Rods |
|---|---|
| Casting Rods | Ocean Rods |
| Spinning Rods | Surf Rods |
| Fly Rods | |
| Ice Fishing Rods | |
| Telescopic Rods | |
| Trolling Rods |
For the purpose of this article, and in an attempt to not overwhelm you too much, let’s discuss the two main fishing rods. I’ll mention other rods from time to time, but that’ll just be in passing.
Material Can make all the Difference
Most rods, today are made of Graphite or Fiberglass. There are also Composite and bamboo rods readily available. What’s the difference?
- Fiberglass rods are strong and relatively cheap to make. The material makes them a bit on the heavy side which can cause fatigue during a long day of fishing. They tend to be strong which makes them last longer, but it also causes them to be less sensitive to lighter bites.
- Graphite rods, on the other hand, are exceptionally light which allows for extra comfort during long days on the water. They are typically more sensitive than their counterparts allowing you to know when a lighter bite is striking. The offset to this, unfortunately, is that they are much easier to break.
- Composite rods are a kind of happy middle ground to the battle between graphite and fiberglass rods. They are made of a material that combines fiberglass and graphite into a lighter but stronger rod. Because of the technology behind this combination, they are typically the most expensive rods on the market. These rods are, however, exceptionally versatile allowing for a much broader range of uses.
- Bamboo rods are the absolute opposite of the spectrum. They use, essentially, no technology. It is simply a bamboo stick.
For additional information on Fishing Rod components, consider reading some of the tutorials at Shop Karl’s.
The material you choose will be important for 3 factors. First, you have to determine what your budget will be. While there are legitimate arguments for prioritizing ease and versatility over cost, it is our belief that you will be less inclined to put your gear to use and significantly more reluctant to experiment with your gear if you are concerned about the loss of expensive gear. This will be clearer as you progress through the other factors.
Your energy exerted to catch and cast depends on the power of your rod
Fishing rods are typically broken down into 6 power ratings
- Ultralight
- Light
- Medium
- Medium-Heavy
- Heavy
- Ultraheavy
Why is this important? Your power determines how sensitive your rod will be when a fish bites your line, how far you’ll be able to cast your lure, and how much force it’s likely to take to break your rod. Each power rating is used for different styles and types of fishing with a wide range of give-and-take within each category.
so let’s focus on just the basics.
First, understand that the power of a pole is not universal. Every company manufactures poles based on its own system. Now, most bass heavy poles will be similar enough to each other that you should be able to pick up any brand pole and have a general feel for how the pole will handle; but a bass heavy pole will not function the same as an ocean heavy pole. This is why you must know what type of pole you are choosing.
On the other hand, most ultralight poles are meant for panfish so, even though they are exceptionally sensitive to light/gentle bites, they are not going to be the right option for say a 6-pound pike. Now don’t get this confused with the random flyrod you might pick up and inspect while you’re looking for your first rod. The flyrods will often feel like an ultra-light to a new angler, but the rating system and evaluation process is completely different (and way too complicated for this current article).
Your rod’s action will determine how you fight the fish
Rod action can be broken down into 3 ratings: Fast, Medium, and Slow. One of the most important reasons for knowing this is to be prepared for where your rod will bend.
Fast Rods
A Fast rod will bend just below the tip. It’s sensitive to light bites and allows for a quick/hard hookset. The bend will reset quickly after a bite or hookset which helps you keep your fish on the line longer. When fishing freshwater, it’s especially popular for single hook setups with a worm, jigging, and fishing in heavy cover. If you’re saltwater fishing, you’ll find the fast rod is most beneficial for fighting monsters like Tuna and Billfish. A bit of advice…If you’re using a fast action rod and a fish with soft lips (like bluegill or crappie) grabs your line, the power behind your hookset is likely going to be enough to rip the critter’s lips off.
Medium Rods
Medium rods are going to bend at more of an overall arc, about the top ½-⅓ ish of the rod. It’s the middle of the road concept when it comes to rod action. The hookset will be a bit slower than the fast rod which gives the fish more time to grasp the bait. Its versatility allows it to serve a purpose for many different waterways. And, remember versatility, it will work relatively well for large and small fish alike.
Slow Rods
Rods with a slow action bend completely (tip to grip) and take the longest to return to straight. This creates a slow hookset that usually makes it best to use small, sharp hooks which can pearce the tissue in the mouth more easily. The slow action is usually considered good for casting, especially with spinner baits and rattletraps. They are frequently used when fishing for panfish and trout. A key advantage is the ability to maintain tension when fighting the fish because of the slow return from a bend.
There is an additional wealth of knowledge about fishing rod action at Fishing Sun.
There are other important characteristics when choosing your fishing rod
Of all parts of the rod, the grip is the piece you will deal with the most. The most common options are cork or a foam (eva) composite. Occasionally you can find plastic or rubber grips, but these are usually on the cheapest of rods. The other consideration for your grip is its shape. When selecting a casting reel you will often have the option of a standard, trigger, grip or a pistol grip. There is no specific benefit to one versus the other. It truly is a personal preference choice. Remember, though, this is the portion of the rod that you will be in contact with constantly, so choose what feels good to you.
One more factor for you to consider
Rod length plays a giant factor in use and function when it comes to fishing rods. There are the occasional oddities that fall outside the “norm” but, for the most part, rods will be anywhere from 5 foot to 15 feet long. The general rule of thumb is that the longer the rod is, the further you can cast. This, however, has to be tempered with why and how you will be using your rod. If you are sitting in a kayak and jigging for crappie around a structure 8 feet below you, casting isn’t going to be an issue. When you’re standing on the beach preparing to cast a lure into the Pacific Ocean hoping for a full grown tiger shark, you’re going to want to get that lure fairly far out.
How does this stear you towards your decision?
- What species of fish are you going to target? Panfish require different rod characteristics from muskies. Bass require different rod capabilities from trout.
- How are you going to fish? Kayaks require different rods than ocean boats. River bank fishing require different rods than Costal Surf fishing.
- What types of lures will you use? Worms require a different setup from minnows. Plastic creature baits will require a different setup from topwatter frogs. That setup, and the demand you will place on the rod when setting the hook will determine what rod will work best for you.
- Spinning or Casting reel? While there is some overlap between the two styles of fishing, the methods serve very different purposes. Ultimately, spinning setups will be most effective with small, light weight lures. The exception to this being the catfish and crossover reels that have been designed to handle ocean and freshwater applications. While casting reels are the most common method for fishing bass, they are not “mandatory” for the process. We’ll discuss reels on an upcoming article to help bring more clarity to this debate, but for now just focus on spinning reels for light lures and casting reels for heavy lures.
The choice is yours
Choosing the fishing pole you will use is completely your decision. If you are not comfortable with the rod in your hand, you will never be comfortable catching a fish. And, while these rules help give you a foundation to make your decision, there is no truly hard and fast rule. Fishing, is all about being flexible. If you go to get your setup and find a rod that you absolutely fall in love with, it will be the rod you have the most “luck” with because it is what works for you. There is no law that says you aren’t allowed to catch a trout on a baitcaster just like theres no law that says you will loose your right to fish if you catch a bass on a spinning rod.
As a new angler, consider reading more of our information on developing killer fishing skills.
Don’t overthink your options. Know what they are, take them into consideration, then choose what you feel will work best for you. As we explain in the article Just Do It, there really isn’t a wrong decision. To become a success at anything, you must make a choice and start, so pick a rod that feels good to you and begin learning to fish!